The lack of a program to develop athletes for longer events is only a reality
because the coaches and athletes aren't doing the job.  When you, we, or anyone
points a finger at someone else, remember that 3 of those fingers are pointing
right back at YOU.

A simple search of the USATF calendar for 2008 lists 333 events with some sort
of race walk ranging from 1500m to 50km and possibly longer.  If someone cannot
find races to participate in they are simply not looking.  If someone cannot
find a coach or training plan to follow, they are simply not looking.  If they
can find excuses, then they simply are looking...

In this event, failure to reach the top is limited by 2 distinct things:

1) lack of talent (i fall here)
2) lack of desire to make it happen

It is that simple.

Michael

    I totally agree with Lauren’s blunt assessment to just “suck it up”
but that is not going to be possible with the other 99.9% of the population who
are not even close to being as motivated as she is. Being from Maine, also, and
having coached for over 20 years I have another insight into the problem that it
seems hasn’t been brought up. In every track event there is an identical event
on every level except race walk. The 100m is the same for 6 year olds and
Olympians. Shot putters progress from lightweight shots to the progressively
heavier ones. Hurdlers start low and increase heights as the athlete gets
taller/older. In the JO program that I have been involved in they started the
race walkers, 12 and under at 1500m and the juniors at 3000m. Needless to say
there were not many participants. We finally changed the distance to 800m and
1500m and lo and behold we got more kids willing to try the event. Our middle
schools do an 800 and then
  in high school move up to the 1600, a nice logical progression. When we move to
the national level we expect kids to jump from the 1500/1600 to the 10,000 at
juniors in a do or die manner. That’s like asking a sprinter to do the 2-mile
and be successful. In college, for those over 20, we ask them to jump from the
3000/5000m to the 20/30 k with no intermediate distance to prepare them.
    How come the states that encourage the race-walk in high school, Maine
and New York, are not supplying a large number to the national scene? Could it
be the fact that there is a 6000% increase in the distance? In college we do not
expect freshman to jump immediately to the 10,000m run. We bring then along
gradually and have other events that they can do (3000/5000) to build up their
base and confidence. And then turn them loose as juniors and seniors after
making sure they are adequately prepared. Does race walk? And that in my opinion
is a large part of the problem. There is no intermediate distance or program
that allows the race walkers to develop physically or mentally for the longer
distances. Without some system in place to provide these young walkers a place
to train and develop their skills at a comfortable pace we, unfortunately lose
them. As a individual involved in developing and nurturing young walkers I have
looked at the problem and
  don’t know the answer but will keep working with the kids to develop them to
move to the next level.

Tom Menendez
Junior Olympic, High School,
College and Race Walk Coach


--- On Sun, 3/29/09, laurenforgues <laurenforgues@...> wrote:
From: laurenforgues <laurenforgues@...>
Subject: [racewalking] My reply
To: racewalking@yahoogroups.com
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 1:41 AM












             Hello Everyone, I have been reading all the posts and felt obligated
to say a few words...



- First, The reason why there are no NAIA college level walkers at the trials is
because the coaches have their athletes training for the 3k and 5k. Come on
people, these athletes couldn't finish a 20k let alone make the team. It is my
experience that you can train for a 20k and still kick ass in the 5k...you can't
train for the 5k and do well in a 20k. I get it though, if a coach wants their
team to do well at an NAIA nationals then they are going to focus training on
that event. This makes sense in all Track and Field events except racewalking.
The international distances is 20k, so why are these NAIA walkers expected to be
at a 20k race?! For those in this group that personally know me, they know my
bluntness so I don't want people to take personal offense to what I am about to
say. If a racewalker attends an NAIA school on scholarship or even partial
scholarship they are obviously expected to do well in the 3/5k walks. No
problem, however, that
  distance is not going to get anyone anywhere! Every athlete dreams of making a
national team, a world championship or even an Olympic team. But an NAIA
National Title in the 3k is not going to mean anything unless you start training
and racing the 20k. Now, had I the chance to attend a NAIA school I would have
made it very clear to my coach that my priority would be the 20k, however, I
would still do my best to dominate the 3K! The 20k is the distance that every
19+ year old is going to have to walk in order to be anything in the world of
racewalking. So to all those "talented NAIA racewalkers" step up to the plate.

(note: I would say NCAA too, if they were not complete idiots and say racwalking
is not an event of T&F even though the IAAF says it is..don't even get me
started on that topic!)



Second-Yes we do need to make some fundamental changes to American Racewalking.
Lets face it- Americans suck at the international level.  For a country that
dominated every sport at this past Olympics we sure did not do that well in the
racewalks. We sent 3 athletes to Beijing, theoretically we should have had 9.
Olga Kaniskina won the Olympics in a mind boggling pace at the age of 23...we
sent a 44 year old and in Athens we had a 42 year old...something is wrong with
this picture. No wonder USATF doesn't want to give us funding! (please don't
take offense to this comment, I'm just trying to make a point)

The only way we are going to get help from USATF is if the younger generation
steps it up (I am trying!) The only way we can step it up is if we have
financial help! SO here is my prescription- SUCK IT UP! We need to show USATF
that we are not a joke, that we can represent USA at international competitions
with out being a joke! Racewalkers are not the only group of athlete's that have
this problem. Any other sport is going to loose funding if they start to decline
in performance. The only way for us to get "noticed" is to start performing
well. It is going to be tough, believe me I know, but we have to do what we can
step it up!  Here is what I am doing...I am not at pan am cup trails because I
am coming off of injury and a long recovery. I am back training and have had the
pleasure to have spent the last three months with Tim Seaman, Rachel Lavallee,
Trevor Barron and a few others who joined our training group here and there. I
am focused and can not
  wait to get back to racing. I am, however, focusing on training first. As
anyone who has walked a 20k knows there is a lot of preparation to do before one
can just toe the line. This training camp is the best thing that could have
happened to me. I have had input from US Olympians as well as Olympic Medalist
and I hope to someday use this experience to represent the US not only in an
international competition, but to kick ass while doing it. I am not going to
complain that USATF does nothing for me...because I have not done anything for
USATF yet. I have made the necessary sacrifices to try and excel and I plan on
making those sacrifices until I make USATF proud. That is what this is about,
making sacrifices. If you are not willing to do so, then you don't belong...as
any Olympian will tell you. I don't have a 50hr a week job, I am finishing my
school online, I haven't seen my family in three months...and my bank account
will be bone dry by 2012, but is
  it worth it? Absolutely. Know, don't get me wrong, a training center like the
AIS would be amazing, however, it is not going to happen, not in my time. What
we have to do is get together with what help we can get from clubs, NARI, even
car washes...etc and have training camps/groups. Gather everyone that has the
same goal and make our own AIS. That is the only way US racewalking is going to
get back on the world map.



_I have vented enough.



Regards, Lauren Forgues   writing from Flagstaff, Arizona































[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Allen,

You hurt me. You glibly hide behind euphemisms on matters which have already
received closure. To indirectly insinuate I fit into the group with a "Silver
Spoon" hurts. I'm sure you'll do your best to imply that wasn't your intention
but I know you. I've sacrificed as much as you have but in a different way. 
I've learned over the past few days how those sacrifices must be adjusted in
order to make an Olympic bid. People told me this would get ugly but a piece of
me still thinks it was the right thing to do. A lot of helpful insight and
beautiful things occurred. Nevertheless, my sincerest apologies for taking the
spotlight off of the superb accomplishments of yesterday and to those who
perceived this to be just another round of the "same old, same old." Moving
forward I promise to direct my thoughts and ideas through a more private
channel.

Mike


--- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, "Allen James" <allen.james@...> wrote:
>
> Thank you Dave & Lauren for telling it like it is.  My story mirrors Dave's to
a T.  My goal after college was to find my way to Colorado Springs, one way or
another, to train with the best.  That was until the program ended.  For the
next five years I struggled on my own, thankful that at least we had some camps
and the Olympic Festivals to keep me motivated.  Training on my own with very
little support, I made it work, even living in SoCal.
>
> Just read the Olympic Creed -
>  "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take
part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the
struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
>
> Embrace the struggle!  Only then can you be victorious.
> I moved my wife and then one daughter to LaGrange in February of 1993.  There
were no walkers, no promised job and no savings.  I was down to my last rent
check and still no job.  In June, I finally started working and was able to pay
the rent.  You want life on the edge, you got it.  Many of the other walkers
started to follow my lead.  From Oct `93 to May of 94, I set five U.S. records. 
Embrace the struggle.
>
> I've been talking to high school track teams lately regarding mental
preparation and focus.  I talk about the silver spoon syndrome and how I had it
too easy as a child and that transferred into my approach toward competitions as
everything came so easy to me.  Training so little and doing generally well was
the high life.  At least until you run into someone who's trying a lot harder.
>
> I began to wake up when I was 22.  It wasn't until I left home a year later
that I really found out.  We have a young nucleus of college students that can
and need to find out what's out there.  Where is that dairy farm, the next
LaGrange (Greensboro?), the cheap remote mountain valley????? Most of these
prospects will say "not for me", but maybe some of them will go for it, better
to scare them now, they just might do it!  Go Lauren and the rest of the gang of
course!
> Allen
>

OOOPS!!!  One period too many!

http://www.racewalk.com/Misc/GiveABook.asp    is the correct link;  note the
absence of a period after .asp

Try that address and it will work.

Sorry,

Tom


Tom Eastler wrote:
> Folks,
>
> I thought after this weekend's successful junior showing that this would
> be a good time to reach out once again to request donations for the
> "Give a Book Program." Until this weekend, we received no donations.
> Then, on Saturday we received our first for $100. While $100 donations
> are great, what we really need is 100 $12 donations or more. With a
> group as large as ours we can fund books for the people that need to
> coach race walking to the next generation of elite race walkers. While
> there are many areas that can help, this is clearly an area we can all
> help easily. Please do what you can today, by making a small tax
> deductible contribution to NARI at
> http://www.racewalk.com/Misc/GiveABook.asp.
>
>
> Thanks
>
> Tom Eastler, CEO
> NARI
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> To put your email message delivery on hold for a group:
> Send a blank message to
> racewalking-nomail@yahoogroups.com
>
> To change your subscription to daily digest mode:
> Send a blank message to
> racewalking-digest@yahoogroups.com
> You can read and post messages from the web at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/racewalking
>
> You can read and post messages from the web at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/racewalking
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

Folks,

I thought after this weekend's successful junior showing that this would
be a good time to reach out once again to request donations for the
"Give a Book Program." Until this weekend, we received no donations.
Then, on Saturday we received our first for $100. While $100 donations
are great, what we really need is 100 $12 donations or more. With a
group as large as ours we can fund books for the people that need to
coach race walking to the next generation of elite race walkers. While
there are many areas that can help, this is clearly an area we can all
help easily. Please do what you can today, by making a small tax
deductible contribution to NARI at
http://www.racewalk.com/Misc/GiveABook.asp.


Thanks

Tom Eastler, CEO
NARI




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

French European Champion and World Championships
silver medalist Yohan Diniz won the 50km race at

the 28th annual �Dudinska patdesiatka', a
European Athletics Permit Meet, in Dudince, Slovakia with

a new national record and a world leading 3:38:45 on Saturday.

It is also a new event record. Former French
record was 3:40:58 by Thierry Toutain in 1996 and

former best of Diniz was his winning mark from
Goteborg European Championships 2006 3:41:39. The

mark of 3:38:45 is also 8th best national record in the event.

"We did not plan for such a fast time, but he is
great competitor and used his chance and good

conditions," commented his coach Pascal Chirat
with whom Diniz has been working since last autumn.

The duo has been working relentlessly to give a
new direction to the Frenchman's career after the

disappointment in Beijing.

Second placed Slovak Matej Toth who debuted at
the distance, also set a national record clocking

3:41:32. The former Slovak record was 3:42:20 by
Pavol Szikora also in Dudince in 1987.

The competition was held in excellent conditions,
with temperature ranging between 14-18 degrees and

very little wind.

"I could not dream about this, I was thinking
maybe to break 3:50, but to achieve the Slovak record,

not at all, "said Toth.

Another five walkers managed to achieve the IAAF
A-standard for Berlin (3:58). Third placer Irish

Jamie Costin achieved new national record also
3:50:51, fourth Poland�s Olympian Rafal Augustyn

debuted at the distance with 3:52:16, fifth Colin
Griffin of Ireland achieved 3:53:54 (he is the

former Irish record holder with 3:51:32 from
winning Dudince in 2007), sixth Tadas Suskevicius of

Lithuania (3:54:40, missed his PB from last year
in Dudince by only 3 seconds) and seventh Slovak

Milos Batovsky (3:55:35).

Hungarian title went to veteran Zoltan Czukor
(4:10:35), while the Czech title was won by Roman

Bilek (4:18:56). Ukrainan Lyudmyla Shelest won
the 20 km race in 1:34:17 ahead of Swedish record

holder Monica Svensson (1:34:31) and another Ukrainian Vira Zozulya (1:35:52).

Despite finishing fourth Zuzana Malikova who won
her 6th Slovak title (1:37:40).

In the 20 km men's race Jakub Jelonek of Poland
registered an impressive win however missed his PB

with 1:22:58 by only one second. Serbian Vladimir
Savanovic won the new category 35 km for U23

(2:46:14), while the junior 10km race witnessed
high quality performances where David Tomala of

Poland (42:12) defeated German Hagen Pohle (42:19) to clinch the title.

1 Diniz Yohann 1978 EFS REIMS (FRA) 03:38:45
2 T�th Matej 1983 VSC DUKLA BANSK� BYSTRICA (SVK) 03:41:32
3 Costin Jamie 1977 IRL (IRL) 03:50:51
4 Augustyn Rafal 1984 POL (POL) 03:52:16
5 Griffin Colin 1982 IRL (IRL) 03:53:54
6 �u�kevicius Tadas 1985 LTU (LTU) 03:54:40
7 B�tovsk� Milo� 1979 VSC DUKLA BANSK� BYSTRICA (SVK) 03:55:35
8 Filipovic Predrag 1978 SRB (SRB) 04:06:02
9 Gonzalez Cobacho Javier 1983 ESP (ESP) 04:09:14
10 Czukor Zolt�n 1962 KOML�I BSK (HUN) 04:10:35


1 Jelonek Jakub 1985 POL (POL) 01:22:58
2 Mikelionis Vilius 1985 LTU (LTU) 01:23:39
3 Rekst Richardas 1987 LTU (LTU) 01:29:58
4 Pi�rek Kamil 1989 POL (POL) 01:30:33
5 Doyle Michael 1900 IRL (IRL) 01:34:24
6 Mockel Max 1990 GER (GER) 01:35:29
7 Davis Scott 1900 GBR (GBR) 01:36:12
8 Zaj�c Jakub 1989 HVEZDA SKP PARDUBICE (CZE) 01:39:27
9 Colette Olivier 1988 BEL (BEL) 01:39:38
10 Luniewski Miroslaw 1957 POL (POL) 01:48:53

1 Shelest Lyudmyla 1974 UKR (UKR) 01:34:17
2 Svensson Monica 1978 SWE (SWE) 01:34:31
3 Zozulya Vira 1970 UKR (UKR) 01:35:52
4 Mal�kov� Zuzana 1983 LOKOMOT�VA �URANY (SVK) 01:37:40
5 Schindlerov� Zuzana 1987 USK PRAHA (CZE) 01:38:05
6 Yakovenko Olga 1987 UKR (UKR) 01:41:02
7 Golba Katarzyna 1989 POL (POL) 01:41:06
8 G�likov� M�ria 1980 VSC DUKLA BANSK� BYSTRICA (SVK) 01:41:15
9 Chrusciel Lucyna 1988 POL (POL) 01:42:22
10 Madar�sz Vikt�ria 1985 BUDA-CASH B�K�SCSABAI AC (HUN) 01:42:33

Thank you Dave & Lauren for telling it like it is.  My story mirrors Dave's to a
T.  My goal after college was to find my way to Colorado Springs, one way or
another, to train with the best.  That was until the program ended.  For the
next five years I struggled on my own, thankful that at least we had some camps
and the Olympic Festivals to keep me motivated.  Training on my own with very
little support, I made it work, even living in SoCal.

Just read the Olympic Creed -
  "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,
just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.
The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

Embrace the struggle!  Only then can you be victorious.
I moved my wife and then one daughter to LaGrange in February of 1993.  There
were no walkers, no promised job and no savings.  I was down to my last rent
check and still no job.  In June, I finally started working and was able to pay
the rent.  You want life on the edge, you got it.  Many of the other walkers
started to follow my lead.  From Oct `93 to May of 94, I set five U.S. records. 
Embrace the struggle.

I've been talking to high school track teams lately regarding mental preparation
and focus.  I talk about the silver spoon syndrome and how I had it too easy as
a child and that transferred into my approach toward competitions as everything
came so easy to me.  Training so little and doing generally well was the high
life.  At least until you run into someone who's trying a lot harder.

I began to wake up when I was 22.  It wasn't until I left home a year later that
I really found out.  We have a young nucleus of college students that can and
need to find out what's out there.  Where is that dairy farm, the next LaGrange
(Greensboro?), the cheap remote mountain valley????? Most of these prospects
will say "not for me", but maybe some of them will go for it, better to scare
them now, they just might do it!  Go Lauren and the rest of the gang of course!
Allen

Goshen College Invitational T&F Meet
Goshen, Indiana
Saturday, March 28th, 2009

Contested in high winds and low Fahrenheits preceding a snow storm in
northern Indiana.

Event 17  Women 3000 Meter Race Walk
=======================================================================
1    98 Peters, Tina           Goshen                15:17.35   10
2    93 Horst, Tessa           Goshen                16:10.79    8
3   102 Stoesz, Laura          Goshen                16:44.24    6
4   230 Burnett, Katie         William Penn          17:12.31    5
5   176 Godette, Annie         St. Xavier            17:59.29    4

Event 18  Men 5000 Meter Race Walk
=======================================================================
1    86 Shear, Kris            Cornerstone           26:22.01   10
2   111 Horst, David           Goshen                32:09.03    8



--

Vince

Vince Peters
USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
mv_tc@...
(937) 767-7424h
http://www.MiamiValleyTrackClub.org

Cedarville University T&F Meet - Race Walk Results
Saturday, 25 March 2009

Article and photo on Cedarville University track met hi-lites Race Walkers:
http://yellowjackets.cedarville.edu/news/2009/3/29/MTRACK_0329092604.aspx

RESULTS:

Event 41  Men 5000 Meter Race Walk
====================================================================
Track Record: # 20:28.25  3/31/2007   Matthew Boyles, Miami Valley TC
====================================================================
1 Crowdus, Evan    FR Lindsey Wilson    24:03.28   10
2 Wiseman, Josh    SO Cedarville        24:07.84    8
3 Campbell, Seth   SR Cedarville        24:12.57    6
4 Adams, Zach      SO Houghton          24:33.24    5
5 Bacon, Grant     SO Cedarville        26:52.85    4
6 Klink, Zach      FR Cedarville        30:03.18    3


Event 42  Women 3000 Meter Race Walk
=======================================================================
  Meet Record: % 14:49.45  3/31/2007   Jill Cobb, Alumni
Track Record: # 14:47.02  4/21/2006   Lindsey Hipp, Malone College
     Name                    Year School                  Finals  Points
=======================================================================
   1 Johnson, Amanda           JR Lindsey Wilson        15:47.96   10
   2 Furnish, Megan            SO Lindsey Wilson        17:14.24    8



--

Vince

Vince Peters
USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
mv_tc@...
(937) 767-7424h
http://www.MiamiValleyTrackClub.org

Sorry about that - Got a bit rushed as I had a plane to catch...Now I'm
between planes in Memphis.

~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~

2009 USA Trials � Americas Race Walk Championships
Sunday, March 29^th , 2009

Pharr, Texas

Hosted by the South Texas Walking Club


The USA completed its selection today in Pharr, Texas, of the national
team that will participate in the first ever America Race Walk
Championships . The IAAF's successor competition to the Pan American
Race Walk Cup, the ARWC will take place May 1st and 2nd in San Salvador,
El Salvador.

Leading the USA team in the 20k will be Patrick Stroupe. Stroupe broke
from Tim Seaman with just over 1k to go to finish and win in a HUGE PR
time of 1:27:34. Superb weather conditions definitely contributed to the
success of the competition as Stroupe's win earned him $800. Seaman
finished in 1:28:04, good for $700. Ageless Ian Whatley was third.

In the women's 20k race Maria Michta of Walk USA caught the fast
starting Philadelphian Solomiya Login with 5 kilometers to go. The first
year grad student then held on to win in 1:46:02.9. Login was a very
close second in 1:46:10. Miami Valley TC's Susan Randall was third in
1:51:37 with Erin Taylor 4th in 1:52.23. Columbia's Lina Cruz was 6th in
her first 20k.

In the Junior Men's race the USA will send a sure medal contender to the
face the top walkers from Central and South America in the tall, slender
frame of 16 year old Trevor Barron. Barron won in a superb time of
44:26.4. Joining him on the team will be HS junior Matthew Forgues from
Maine and Lindsey Wilson University freshman Ricardo Vergara. All top 5
finishers broke 50 minutes.

The Junior women's race was led from start to finish by Miami Valley
Track Club's Allison Chin. Chin's winning time of 54:28.4 was a 3 minute
personal best. Earning their qualifying times for this summer's USATF
Junior National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, were Claudia Ortiz and
Molly Josephs. Ortiz walked 57:11 with the young Josephs having a very
respective 58:28 outing.

A big thank you to AC Jaime and the South Texas Walking Club, the city
of Pharr, its Parks and Recreation Department, and the PSJA school
district for hosting and sponsoring this year's competition. A hearty
thank also goes to the USATF officials from around the country and the
local volunteers who helped.

All the elementary kids (and it was a huge group) that cheered on their
home town and adopted favorites were fantastic. And then later, as the
youngsters completed the final round of competition for the Tri-City RW
championship, it was obvious that they were as inspired by all the elite
walkers who participated, as much as our country's top walkers were
inspired by this young crowd's energy and enthusiasm.

10k Championship Race - Women
1. Allison Chin (F17) Tipp City, OH Miami Valley Track Club 54:28.4
2. Claudia Ortiz (F16) Mission, Tx South Texas Walking club 57:11
3. Molly Josephs (F15) Garden City, NY Walk USA 58:28
4. Mercedes Mancha (F18) Elgin, IL Elgin Sharks Track Club 1:00:59
5. Jessica Reybal (F16) McAllen, TX South Texas Walking Club 1:01:35
-- Christie Bernier (F16) Auburn, ME Maine Racewalkers DNS

10k Championship Race - Men
1. Trevor Barron (M16) Bethel Park, PA South Park Track Club 44:26.4
2. Matthew Forgues (M16) Boothbay, ME Maine Racewalkers 48:04
3. Ricardo Vergara (M18) Columbia, KY Lindsey Wilson College 48:05
4. Roberto Vergara (M18) Columbia, KY Lindsey Wilson College 48:41
5. Alejandro Chavez (M15) Pharr, TX South Texas WC 49:31
6. John Randall (M16) Beavercreek, OH Miami Valley Track Club 55:35

Open Non Championship 10K RW
1. Steven Valdez (M13) McAllen, TX South Texas Walking Club 1:07:47
-- Miguel Amadeo (M58) McAllen, TX South Texas Walking Club DQ

20k Championship Race - Women:
1. Maria Michta (F22) USA Nesconset, NY Walk USA 1:46:02.9
2. Solomiya Login (F28) USA Philadelphia, PA Southeastern PA AC 1:46:10
3. Susan Randall (F34) USA Beavercreek, OH Miami Valley TC 1:51:37
4. Erin Taylor (F30) USA Bergenfield, NJ South Texas WC 1:52:23
5. Margaret Ditchburn (F34) USA San Diego, CA unattached 1:54:14
6. Lina Cruz (F19) Col Bronx, NY Walk USA 2:01:31
7. Katie Malinowski (F21) USA Ada, MI Cornerstone U. 2:02:46

20k Championship Race - Men:
1. Patrick Stroupe (M24) Armstrong, MO unattached 1:27:34.0
2. Tim Seaman (M36) Imperial Beach, CA New York Athletic Club 1:28:04
3. Ian Whatley (M49) Greer, SC Varsano�s Chocolates RWers 1:50:21
4. Jose Moncada (M20) Brea, CA Unattached 1:55:15
5. Alberto Medina (M48) Cedar Creek, TX unattached 1:56:15
6. Ray Funkhouser (M58) Whitestone, VA Shore AC 2:14:29
-- Adriane Jaime (M22) McAllen, TX South Texas Walking club


--

Vince

Vince Peters
USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
mv_tc@...
(937) 767-7424h
http://www.MiamiValleyTrackClub.org

Do we have a "thumbs up" smilie?
Lauren hits the nail on the head, here, IMHO.
Dan O'Brien

--- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, "laurenforgues" <laurenforgues@...> wrote:
>
> Hello Everyone, I have been reading all the posts and felt obligated to say a
few words...
>
> - First, The reason why there are no NAIA college level walkers at the trials
is because the coaches have their athletes training for the 3k and 5k. Come on
people, these athletes couldn't finish a 20k let alone make the team. It is my
experience that you can train for a 20k and still kick ass in the 5k...you can't
train for the 5k and do well in a 20k. I get it though, if a coach wants their
team to do well at an NAIA nationals then they are going to focus training on
that event. This makes sense in all Track and Field events except racewalking.
The international distances is 20k, so why are these NAIA walkers expected to be
at a 20k race?! For those in this group that personally know me, they know my
bluntness so I don't want people to take personal offense to what I am about to
say. If a racewalker attends an NAIA school on scholarship or even partial
scholarship they are obviously expected to do well in the 3/5k walks. No
problem, however, that distance is not going to get anyone anywhere! Every
athlete dreams of making a national team, a world championship or even an
Olympic team. But an NAIA National Title in the 3k is not going to mean anything
unless you start training and racing the 20k. Now, had I the chance to attend a
NAIA school I would have made it very clear to my coach that my priority would
be the 20k, however, I would still do my best to dominate the 3K! The 20k is the
distance that every 19+ year old is going to have to walk in order to be
anything in the world of racewalking. So to all those "talented NAIA
racewalkers" step up to the plate.
> (note: I would say NCAA too, if they were not complete idiots and say
racwalking is not an event of T&F even though the IAAF says it is..don't even
get me started on that topic!)
>
> Second-Yes we do need to make some fundamental changes to American
Racewalking. Lets face it- Americans suck at the international level.  For a
country that dominated every sport at this past Olympics we sure did not do that
well in the racewalks. We sent 3 athletes to Beijing, theoretically we should
have had 9. Olga Kaniskina won the Olympics in a mind boggling pace at the age
of 23...we sent a 44 year old and in Athens we had a 42 year old...something is
wrong with this picture. No wonder USATF doesn't want to give us funding!
(please don't take offense to this comment, I'm just trying to make a point)
> The only way we are going to get help from USATF is if the younger generation
steps it up (I am trying!) The only way we can step it up is if we have
financial help! SO here is my prescription- SUCK IT UP! We need to show USATF
that we are not a joke, that we can represent USA at international competitions
with out being a joke! Racewalkers are not the only group of athlete's that have
this problem. Any other sport is going to loose funding if they start to decline
in performance. The only way for us to get "noticed" is to start performing
well. It is going to be tough, believe me I know, but we have to do what we can
step it up!  Here is what I am doing...I am not at pan am cup trails because I
am coming off of injury and a long recovery. I am back training and have had the
pleasure to have spent the last three months with Tim Seaman, Rachel Lavallee,
Trevor Barron and a few others who joined our training group here and there. I
am focused and can not wait to get back to racing. I am, however, focusing on
training first. As anyone who has walked a 20k knows there is a lot of
preparation to do before one can just toe the line. This training camp is the
best thing that could have happened to me. I have had input from US Olympians as
well as Olympic Medalist and I hope to someday use this experience to represent
the US not only in an international competition, but to kick ass while doing it.
I am not going to complain that USATF does nothing for me...because I have not
done anything for USATF yet. I have made the necessary sacrifices to try and
excel and I plan on making those sacrifices until I make USATF proud. That is
what this is about, making sacrifices. If you are not willing to do so, then you
don't belong...as any Olympian will tell you. I don't have a 50hr a week job, I
am finishing my school online, I haven't seen my family in three months...and my
bank account will be bone dry by 2012, but is it worth it? Absolutely. Know,
don't get me wrong, a training center like the AIS would be amazing, however, it
is not going to happen, not in my time. What we have to do is get together with
what help we can get from clubs, NARI, even car washes...etc and have training
camps/groups. Gather everyone that has the same goal and make our own AIS. That
is the only way US racewalking is going to get back on the world map.
>
> _I have vented enough.
>
> Regards, Lauren Forgues   writing from Flagstaff, Arizona
>

Kudos to Patrick Stroupe.

When I spoke to him last weekend at the meet at Central Methodist he
was very confident that he would have a good race today.  Stroupe,
who never competed in race walking before college and is a product of
the NAIA program, from the beginning realized that it was important
to compete at the International distances.  He is now in a position
where the IAAF B Standard for the World Championships in Athletics of
1:24:20 is realistic either at the Americas Race Walk Championships
in May or the USATF Championships in June.

Go Patrick!

On Mar 29, 2009, at 1:52 PM, Vince Peters wrote:

> The USA completed its selection of the national team that will
> participate in El Salvador in the first ever Americas Race Walk
> Championships. The IAAF's successor competition to the Pan American
> Race
> Walk Cup, the ARWC will take place May 1st and 2nd.
>
> Leading the USA team in the 20k will be Patrick Stroupe. Stroupe broke
> from Tim Seaman with just over 1k to go to win in a HUGE PR time of
> 1:27:34 in superb weather conditions in Parr, Texas, host city for the
> trials. Stroupe win earned him $800. Seaman finished in 1:28:04, good
> for $700. Ageless Ian Whately was third.
>
> In the women's 20k race Maria Michta of Walk USA caught the fast
> starting Philadelphian Solomiya Login with 5 kilometers to go and then
> held on to win in 1:46:02.9. Login was a very close second in 1:46:10.
> Miami Valley TC's Susan Randall was third in 1:51:37 with Erin Taylor
> 4th in 1:52.23. Columbia's Lina Cruz was 6th in her first 20k.
>
> In the Junior Men's race the USA will send a sure medal contender
> to the
> face the top walkers from Central and South America in the slender
> frame
> of 16 year old Trevor Barron. Barron won in a superb time of 44:26.4.
> Joining him on the team will be Matthew Forgues and Ricardo Vergara as
> all top 5 finishers broke 50 minutes.
>
> The Junior women's race was led from start to finish by Miami Valley
> Track Club's Allison Chin. Chin's 54:28.4 was a 3 minute PR. Claudia
> Ortiz and Molly Josephs earned there qualifying time into this
> summer's
> Junior Nationals in Eugene, Oregon with qualifying times of 57:11 and
> 58:28 respectively.
>
> A big thank you to AC Jaime and the South Teaxas Walking Club, the
> city
> of Pharr, its Parks and Recreation Dpartment, and the PSJA school
> district for hosting and sponsoring this year's competition. And to
> all
> the volunteers who helped.
>
> And all the elementary kids (and it was a huge group) that competed
> for
> the Tri-City RW championship were as inspired by all the elite walkers
> who participated here as much as our country's top walkers were
> inspired
> by their energy and enthusiasm.

Wayne T. Armbrust, Ph.D.
USATF Level III Coach
wta@...
Computomarx (TM)
3604 Grant Ct.
Columbia MO 65203-5800 USA
(573) 445-6675 (voice & FAX)
http://www.Computomarx.com
"...No man having put his hand to the plough,
and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of
God" (St. Luke 9:62)

America's Racewalk Cup Trials (Formerly Pan American Racewalk Cup Trials)
Pharr, Texas
Sunday 30 March, 2009

Tom Eastler, CEO NARI, Correspondent
207-778-6703

****FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*****

BOOTHBAY'S MATT FORGUES TAKES SILVER IN AMERICA'S RACEWALK CUP TRIALS

Boothbay's 5-time all-American Track and Field athlete, Junior Matthew
Forgues, trained smart, raced smart, and earned second spot on the
3-member USA Junior Team roster for the America's Racewalk Cup to be
held in San Salvador, El Salvador, on May 1st and 2nd, 2009.  The race
was won by high school junior Trevor Barron from Bethel Park, PA in
44:26, with Matt 2nd in 48:03, and Lindsey Wilson College, Columbia,
Kentucky freshman Ricardo Vergara, from Pharr, TX, 3rd in 48:04.  The
USA Junior men's and women's Team will be traveling with the USA men's
and women's Team to this event.  The Junior men's team may capture one
or more medals in this international competition.

The USA completed its selection of the national team that will
participate in El Salvador in the first ever Americas Race Walk
Championships. The IAAF's successor competition to the Pan American Race
Walk Cup, the ARWC will take place May 1st and 2nd.

Leading the USA team in the 20k will be Patrick Stroupe. Stroupe broke
from Tim Seaman with just over 1k to go to win in a HUGE PR time of
1:27:34 in superb weather conditions in Parr, Texas, host city for the
trials. Stroupe win earned him $800. Seaman finished in 1:28:04, good
for $700. Ageless Ian Whately was third.

In the women's 20k race Maria Michta of Walk USA caught the fast
starting Philadelphian Solomiya Login with 5 kilometers to go and then
held on to win in 1:46:02.9. Login was a very close second in 1:46:10.
Miami Valley TC's Susan Randall was third in 1:51:37 with Erin Taylor
4th in 1:52.23. Columbia's Lina Cruz was 6th in her first 20k.

In the Junior Men's race the USA will send a sure medal contender to the
face the top walkers from Central and South America in the slender frame
of 16 year old Trevor Barron. Barron won in a superb time of 44:26.4.
Joining him on the team will be Matthew Forgues and Ricardo Vergara as
all top 5 finishers broke 50 minutes.

The Junior women's race was led from start to finish by Miami Valley
Track Club's Allison Chin. Chin's 54:28.4 was a 3 minute PR. Claudia
Ortiz and Molly Josephs earned there qualifying time into this summer's
Junior Nationals in Eugene, Oregon with qualifying times of 57:11 and
58:28 respectively.

A big thank you to AC Jaime and the South Teaxas Walking Club, the city
of Pharr, its Parks and Recreation Dpartment, and the PSJA school
district for hosting and sponsoring this year's competition. And to all
the volunteers who helped.

And all the elementary kids (and it was a huge group) that competed for
the Tri-City RW championship were as inspired by all the elite walkers
who participated here as much as our country's top walkers were inspired
by their energy and enthusiasm.

10k championship Race

Place



First



Last Name



AGE



Home Town





Club / School



Time

1



Allison



Chin



17



Tipp City



OH



Miami Valley Track Club



54:28.4

2



Claudia



Ortiz



16



Mission



Tx



South Texas Walking club



57:11

3



Molly



Josephs



15



Garden City



NY



Walk USA



58:28

4



Mercedes



Mancha



18



Elgin



IL



Elgin Sharks Track Club



1:00:59

5



Jessica



Reybal



16



McAllen



TX



South Texas Walking Club



1:01:35

DNS



Christie



Bernier



16



Auburn



ME



Maine Racewalkers




Place



First



Last Name



AGE



Home Town





Club / School



Time

1



Trevor



Barron



16



Bethel Park



PA



South Park Track Club



44:26.4

2



Matthew



Forgues



16



Boothbay



ME



Maine Racewalkers



48:04

3



Ricardo



Vergara



18



Columbia



KY



Lindsey Wilson College



48:05

4



Roberto



Vergara



18



Columbia



KY



Lindsey Wilson College



48:41

5



Alejandro



Chavez



15



Pharr



TX



South Texas WC



49:31

6



John



Randall



16



Beavercreek



OH



Miami Valley Track Club



55:35


Open Non Championship 10K RW

Place



First



Last Name





AGE



Home Town





Club / School



Time

1



Steven



Valdez



Male



13



McAllen



TX



South Texas Walking Club



1:07:47

--



Miguel



Amadeo



Male



58



McAllen



TX



South Texas Walking Club



DQ


20K championships

Place



First



Last Name



AGE



Citizenship



Home Town



State



Club / School



Time

1



Maria



Michta



22



USA



Nesconset



NY



Walk USA



1:46:02.9

2



Solomiya



Login



28



USA



Philadelphia



PA



Southeastern PA Athletic Club



1:46:10

3



Susan



Randall



34



USA



Beavercreek



OH



Miami Valley Track Club



1:51:37

4



Erin



Taylor



30



USA



Bergenfield



NJ



South Texas Walking Club



1:52:23

5



Margaret



Ditchburn



34



USA



San Diego



CA



unattached



1:54:14

6



Lina



Cruz



19



*Columbia***



Bronx



NY



Walk USA



2:01:31

7



Katie



Malinowski



21



USA



Ada



MI



Cornerstone U.



2:02:46



Place



First



Last Name



AGE



Home Town





Club / School



Time

1



Patrick



Stroupe



24



Armstrong



MO



unattached



1:27:34.0

2



Tim



Seaman



36



Imperial Beach



CA



New York Athletic Club



1:28:04

3



Ian



Whatley



49



Greer



SC



Varsano�s Chocolates RWers



1:50:21

4



Jose



Moncada



20



Brea



CA



Unattached



1:55:15

5



Alberto



Medina



48



Cedar Creek



TX



unattached



1:56:15

6



Ray



Funkhouser



58



Whitestone



Va



Shore AC



2:14:29

DNF



Adriane



Jaime



22



McAllen



TX



South Texas Walking club





--

Vince

Vince Peters
USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
mv_tc@...
(937) 767-7424h
http://www.MiamiValleyTrackClub.org

A quick note on te results from Pharr. Patrick Stroupe won in 1:27:something,
Tim Seaman was 2nd 1:28:03, Ian Whatley was 3rd and is headed to El Salvador.
Alison Chin won the Junior 10K Women's in 54:something, fast enough to make the
trip. 2nd was Claudia Otriz, 57:10ish, and third was Molly Joesph from Long
Island. Women's Open was won by Maria Mitcha 1:46:0 something, 2nd Solomia
Logan, 1:46:10, Susan Randel 3rd 1:51:37, 4th Erin Taylor in 1:52:20. Junior
Men's Trevor Barron, 44:26, 2nd Mathew Fourges 48:03, 4rd Ricardo Vegara 48:04,
5th Alex Chavez, 49:29.

Sorry about the misspellings and approximations, but I got this all over the
phone. Official results will follow:

Jeff Salvage
www.racewalk.com





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Hello Everyone, I have been reading all the posts and felt obligated to say a
few words...

- First, The reason why there are no NAIA college level walkers at the trials is
because the coaches have their athletes training for the 3k and 5k. Come on
people, these athletes couldn't finish a 20k let alone make the team. It is my
experience that you can train for a 20k and still kick ass in the 5k...you can't
train for the 5k and do well in a 20k. I get it though, if a coach wants their
team to do well at an NAIA nationals then they are going to focus training on
that event. This makes sense in all Track and Field events except racewalking.
The international distances is 20k, so why are these NAIA walkers expected to be
at a 20k race?! For those in this group that personally know me, they know my
bluntness so I don't want people to take personal offense to what I am about to
say. If a racewalker attends an NAIA school on scholarship or even partial
scholarship they are obviously expected to do well in the 3/5k walks. No
problem, however, that distance is not going to get anyone anywhere! Every
athlete dreams of making a national team, a world championship or even an
Olympic team. But an NAIA National Title in the 3k is not going to mean anything
unless you start training and racing the 20k. Now, had I the chance to attend a
NAIA school I would have made it very clear to my coach that my priority would
be the 20k, however, I would still do my best to dominate the 3K! The 20k is the
distance that every 19+ year old is going to have to walk in order to be
anything in the world of racewalking. So to all those "talented NAIA
racewalkers" step up to the plate.
(note: I would say NCAA too, if they were not complete idiots and say racwalking
is not an event of T&F even though the IAAF says it is..don't even get me
started on that topic!)

Second-Yes we do need to make some fundamental changes to American Racewalking.
Lets face it- Americans suck at the international level.  For a country that
dominated every sport at this past Olympics we sure did not do that well in the
racewalks. We sent 3 athletes to Beijing, theoretically we should have had 9.
Olga Kaniskina won the Olympics in a mind boggling pace at the age of 23...we
sent a 44 year old and in Athens we had a 42 year old...something is wrong with
this picture. No wonder USATF doesn't want to give us funding! (please don't
take offense to this comment, I'm just trying to make a point)
The only way we are going to get help from USATF is if the younger generation
steps it up (I am trying!) The only way we can step it up is if we have
financial help! SO here is my prescription- SUCK IT UP! We need to show USATF
that we are not a joke, that we can represent USA at international competitions
with out being a joke! Racewalkers are not the only group of athlete's that have
this problem. Any other sport is going to loose funding if they start to decline
in performance. The only way for us to get "noticed" is to start performing
well. It is going to be tough, believe me I know, but we have to do what we can
step it up!  Here is what I am doing...I am not at pan am cup trails because I
am coming off of injury and a long recovery. I am back training and have had the
pleasure to have spent the last three months with Tim Seaman, Rachel Lavallee,
Trevor Barron and a few others who joined our training group here and there. I
am focused and can not wait to get back to racing. I am, however, focusing on
training first. As anyone who has walked a 20k knows there is a lot of
preparation to do before one can just toe the line. This training camp is the
best thing that could have happened to me. I have had input from US Olympians as
well as Olympic Medalist and I hope to someday use this experience to represent
the US not only in an international competition, but to kick ass while doing it.
I am not going to complain that USATF does nothing for me...because I have not
done anything for USATF yet. I have made the necessary sacrifices to try and
excel and I plan on making those sacrifices until I make USATF proud. That is
what this is about, making sacrifices. If you are not willing to do so, then you
don't belong...as any Olympian will tell you. I don't have a 50hr a week job, I
am finishing my school online, I haven't seen my family in three months...and my
bank account will be bone dry by 2012, but is it worth it? Absolutely. Know,
don't get me wrong, a training center like the AIS would be amazing, however, it
is not going to happen, not in my time. What we have to do is get together with
what help we can get from clubs, NARI, even car washes...etc and have training
camps/groups. Gather everyone that has the same goal and make our own AIS. That
is the only way US racewalking is going to get back on the world map.

_I have vented enough.

Regards, Lauren Forgues   writing from Flagstaff, Arizona

Folks,

In my small bit of bragging in response to Mike T.'s email the other day
I forgot about Anne Favolise of Columbia, Maine who finished 8th in the
2004 Olympic Trials, making Maine Racewalkers total 5 (3 women and 2
men) not just the 4 that I mentioned.  Apologies to Anne and coach Dave
Baldwin who  prepared her for her collegiate training at UWP.  Five out
of 1.3 million total population gives a darn good per capita
production.  For example here are the 2008 populations for several
states that may have Olympic Trials athlete racewalkers or Olympic
athlete racewalkers (sorry if I didn't include your state...this is just
a quick list).  I haven't a clue how many racewalking Olympic Trials
athletes and Olympic athletes have competed in the last three Olympic
Trials or Olympics who were initially trained from each of these states,
but perhaps some one of you will look that up and enlighten us.

CA = 36.8 million (all figures approximate 2008 population from Wikipedia)
TX = 24.3 million
NY = 19.5 million
FL = 18.3 million
OH = 11.5 million
MI = 10.0 million
GA = 9.7 million
WI = 5.6 million
NM = 2.0 million
ME = 1.3 million = 5  (program started in 1993, 2 athletes in 2000
Trials; 3 athletes in 2004 Trials, 1 in Olympics; 3 athletes in 2008
Trials, 1 in Olympics)
NH = 1.3 million
VT = .6 million

Without serious university athletics, Australia's club system is certainly vital
to their success.  But the real basis of their achievements is "Little
Athletics".  Punch that into the Wikipedia and check the links.  It's VERY
successful.

Quick Silver
Hong Kong

I was on the Junior team in 1998.  I wasn't the fastest back then, since it was
only my first year, but I have by far lasted the longest.  A few went on to
racewalk in college, but not many lasted past college.  Where are all these
former racewalkers now?  We may be talking about why no one is competing
NOWadays, but it's been going on for many, many years.


1998 Jr. National Team
Men's 10,000m
Chris Brooks
Scott Crafton
Patrick Ryan
Eric Pasko
Matt De Witt
Eric Tonkyn

Women's 5,000m
Lisa Kutzing
Emma Carter
Brooke Szody
Katie Rulapaugh
Robyn Stevens
Elizabeth Paxton

Mike,

I know you have a lot of good reasons for not doing Pan Ams this year. A
hot-weather race out of country takes a toll on the body. But I also know that
some of your decision stems from frustration with "the system." I've become part
of "the system" and believe me, it's frustrating for me/us, too! Maybe I didn't
phrase things correctly, but I was just trying to get across that we're trying
to make some changes for the better, but in the interim you have to rely on
yourself.
I had the choice of Mobile or San Diego in '96 before the ARCO program was in
place and I knew San Diego wasn't realistic--too expensive until or unless I had
a room at ARCO. You're in a good situation--no ties. I hope you can find
something that allows you to train effectively without having to work 50 hours
per week. I was just throwing some ideas out there off the top of my head at one
in the morning--for you and anyone else in your situation. You have all the
physical tools needed to walk an "A" standard. You need to be able to put the
miles in for several years consistently and it'll happen.

DMcG
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Mike Tarantino" <m_tarantino@...>

Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:22:07
To: <racewalking@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [racewalking] Re: reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team trials
for America's Race Walk Championships


Tom,

I just want to clarify that I'm not proposing we copy the Australian format
verbatim.  Personally, in our circumstance I'm not sure club networking is the
way to go.  I simply offered this as an alternative to trying to figure out what
it's going to take to groom a child who just left the womb to become a gold
medalist.



Dave,

Tough love is great.  It's what makes us better people.

Looking internally is not a foreign subject to me.  I ask people all the time to
call me out and challenge my actions.  I can readily admit that you are correct.
The majority of the equation revolves around me making it happen.  Stepping up
through the trials and tribulations and answering the call.  I can also look at
myself and say I have been using certain arguments as crutches and veils.  Your
points are duly noted and may very well be looked upon as the turning point in
my racewalking career.


For you to infer that my absence from the Pan Am Trials resides solely on Chula
Vista is preposterous.  There were many factors involved in me not being able to
attend.  First and foremost I plainly couldn't get the time off of work.  I had
a choice of using that time to attend the Pan Am Trials or this year's
Nationals.  I think I made the right decision.  Secondly, there was improper
handling of matters by people in the USATF who represent me.  In hind sight I
probably blew that out of proportion but it irks me when someone chooses not to
follow through on a task that is well within their control.  Lastly, there is a
bit me that feels I don't belong there.  That I must feel the pain of not being
there to make a real change in my walking.  Strolling into a third world country
to compete against the best in our hemisphere with snazzy new Nike uniforms and
matching luggage while walking 1:36:00 seems a little out of place to me.

Perhaps, I let these factors blind me to what really needed to be done.


Mike


--- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, Tom Eastler <eastler@...> wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> Fine thoughts as usual.  How many times have we heard about "club"
> teams, and how many more times will we have to hear about them until we
> actually emulate them in sufficient quantity and quality?  Club teams
> are a wonderful idea.  I started my racewalking under the Milrose AA
> with Shaul Ladany as my coach and when Shaul went off to war I switched
> over the the Long Island AC with Howie (now Jake) Jacobson as my coach.
> I was in my early twenties and some of my teammates were much older.  I
> never amounted to much as a walker, but I have made some impact on the
> event by applying all that I learned from my excellent coaches.
>
> Note that the Gary Westerfield's athletes have come to national and
> international competition through the club program.  The South Texas
> Walking Club (STWC) and the Maine Racewalker's Club have developed their
> club systems just up to the collegiate level recently.  The young kids
> grow out of our clubs and move on, as they do in virtually all clubs in
> the US.  They may possibly keep their club affiliation, as has Tim with
> the NYAC, but more often than not they move far away and have no
> support.  Therein comes the chain.  A club system has only the reach
> that it can maintain.  AC can handle south Texas and I can handle all of
> Maine, with difficulty, at the junior age group (14-19).  I am
> recruiting collegiate walkers at my university, but can't stretch any
> further than that, and have very limited resources even at that radius.
> What club can handle 8 year old and 80 year old walkers and support all
> of them in competition at all levels and in all venues???  Not many!
> There is an incipient club system here in the US, but geographic
> distribution of athletes and resources as well as coaches and mentors is
> very limited.  The funding of these activities is also very limited.
>
> What do we not know about the very effective Australian system?  You
> mention  club network....what is a network if not a complex of chains?
> Somehow the Maine Racewalkers and the STWC, as far away from each other
> as we are, have a network, I guess, of coaching philosophy, but only
> compete with each other a few times a year at National events...same
> with Long Island, and other clubs.  Using the anecdote of Jared, also
> one of my favorite walkers, is fine, but I suppose whomever had Tim
> Lewis in their club or Ron Zinn or other such remarkable walkers could
> make the same argument.  The population statistics don't really hold
> much water, other than to show that lazy Americans don't join
> racewalking groups and don't reach elite status very much.  Kevin
> Eastler, Gretchen  Eastler Fishman,  Ben Shorey, and Lauren Forgues come
> from a state with a population of 1.3 million people.  Each of those
> athletes has made it to one or more Olympic Trials and one of them is a
> two time Olympian.  Are any as talented as Jared?  No, but that's not
> the point, a small club system that only serves juniors was able to
> produce 4 Olympic Trials  athletes and a two-time Olympian in the last
> three Olympiads from a population of 1.3 million.  It has to do with the
> attitude of the people involved...it comes down to people....and clubs
> do seem to be the way to go to get such results.
>
> Lastly of course, all that relates to $$$$.  Even with the best of club
> support, if the $$$$ aren't there, then the athletes never make it to
> the big time.  Where does the money come from for the Australian  club
> network?  They can't fly very far to compete if they don't have the
> money.  What we know is that they are very successful on a per capita
> basis.  What we don't know is how they get the funding and coaching to
> be so successful.
>
> Keep up the thought process and continue on the path to becoming not
> only a great athlete, but a great coach, a great organizer, a great
> salesman, and a great philanthropist....when you get there perhaps the
> limiting factor for success will have been exceeded and we will become
> the great racewalking power that we all want us to be.
>
> Tom
>
> >
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

All,



This is without a doubt the first time I have ever found a need to respond to
postings on this list.  I do not dispute the fact that there have been many a
discussion on this list, which, in my opinion, warranted a response; I always
held myself back because I felt as one who is always outside.



I see a great many people in my travels who are always amazed at my speed. I am
not even close to being one of the fastest walkers in the country.  I think of
myslf as being in the middle of a distinguished pack.  I have only been doing
this since 2004.  I am still a newcomer, but I have been pleased do date.  I
have also been disgusted, saddened, and disenfranchised.  These were in the
ealry days of my training.  I felt, as I believe others do that we are at the
frings of track and field.  I read with saddeness post after post of a USATF
that felt no desire to look at this sport with more love and respect.  I looked
with disgust at others that would wonder why bother to walk fast all.  Again,
this was in the beginning.



I have trained since I started in 2004 with a full time job, a wife, and now a
baby daughter.  I have for the past 2 years been lovingly supported by a local
racewalking club.  They pay me for airfare and hotel.  I have a local business
that is willing, and happy to pay me for running shoes and racing flats.  My
coaches, Dave Sullivan and Judith Clymer, have taught me self reliance when it
comes to training.  It is always better to train with others.  You can push and
be pushed.  I have had that luxury some of the times.  Other times, I have had
to do it all on my own.



I have done all I can in Albuquerque to persuade the young, the middle aged, and
the older to try racewalking.  We have a good number of walkers here that love
what they do.  They love to walk!



I believe the mentality of the nation needs to shift.  In the meantime, I
believe I need to push to get one maybe two to try to walk as fast as me, and
then to surpass me.



I don't mean to pry.  As I said above, I have always felt a little on the
outside simply because I am a man who is nto able to train full time.  I need a
job to pay for the sport I have become so found of these past few years.  I am
merely voicing a simialr opinion.  We can't train full time.  We simply train as
hard as we can, when we can.



Patrick Collier


To: racewalking@yahoogroups.com
From: m_tarantino@...
Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 20:22:07 +0000
Subject: [racewalking] Re: reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team trials
for America's Race Walk Championships





Tom,

I just want to clarify that I'm not proposing we copy the Australian format
verbatim. Personally, in our circumstance I'm not sure club networking is the
way to go. I simply offered this as an alternative to trying to figure out what
it's going to take to groom a child who just left the womb to become a gold
medalist.

Dave,

Tough love is great. It's what makes us better people.

Looking internally is not a foreign subject to me. I ask people all the time to
call me out and challenge my actions. I can readily admit that you are correct.
The majority of the equation revolves around me making it happen. Stepping up
through the trials and tribulations and answering the call. I can also look at
myself and say I have been using certain arguments as crutches and veils. Your
points are duly noted and may very well be looked upon as the turning point in
my racewalking career.

For you to infer that my absence from the Pan Am Trials resides solely on Chula
Vista is preposterous. There were many factors involved in me not being able to
attend. First and foremost I plainly couldn't get the time off of work. I had a
choice of using that time to attend the Pan Am Trials or this year's Nationals.
I think I made the right decision. Secondly, there was improper handling of
matters by people in the USATF who represent me. In hind sight I probably blew
that out of proportion but it irks me when someone chooses not to follow through
on a task that is well within their control. Lastly, there is a bit me that
feels I don't belong there. That I must feel the pain of not being there to make
a real change in my walking. Strolling into a third world country to compete
against the best in our hemisphere with snazzy new Nike uniforms and matching
luggage while walking 1:36:00 seems a little out of place to me.

Perhaps, I let these factors blind me to what really needed to be done.

Mike

--- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, Tom Eastler <eastler@...> wrote:
>
> Mike,
>
> Fine thoughts as usual. How many times have we heard about "club"
> teams, and how many more times will we have to hear about them until we
> actually emulate them in sufficient quantity and quality? Club teams
> are a wonderful idea. I started my racewalking under the Milrose AA
> with Shaul Ladany as my coach and when Shaul went off to war I switched
> over the the Long Island AC with Howie (now Jake) Jacobson as my coach.
> I was in my early twenties and some of my teammates were much older. I
> never amounted to much as a walker, but I have made some impact on the
> event by applying all that I learned from my excellent coaches.
>
> Note that the Gary Westerfield's athletes have come to national and
> international competition through the club program. The South Texas
> Walking Club (STWC) and the Maine Racewalker's Club have developed their
> club systems just up to the collegiate level recently. The young kids
> grow out of our clubs and move on, as they do in virtually all clubs in
> the US. They may possibly keep their club affiliation, as has Tim with
> the NYAC, but more often than not they move far away and have no
> support. Therein comes the chain. A club system has only the reach
> that it can maintain. AC can handle south Texas and I can handle all of
> Maine, with difficulty, at the junior age group (14-19). I am
> recruiting collegiate walkers at my university, but can't stretch any
> further than that, and have very limited resources even at that radius.
> What club can handle 8 year old and 80 year old walkers and support all
> of them in competition at all levels and in all venues??? Not many!
> There is an incipient club system here in the US, but geographic
> distribution of athletes and resources as well as coaches and mentors is
> very limited. The funding of these activities is also very limited.
>
> What do we not know about the very effective Australian system? You
> mention club network....what is a network if not a complex of chains?
> Somehow the Maine Racewalkers and the STWC, as far away from each other
> as we are, have a network, I guess, of coaching philosophy, but only
> compete with each other a few times a year at National events...same
> with Long Island, and other clubs. Using the anecdote of Jared, also
> one of my favorite walkers, is fine, but I suppose whomever had Tim
> Lewis in their club or Ron Zinn or other such remarkable walkers could
> make the same argument. The population statistics don't really hold
> much water, other than to show that lazy Americans don't join
> racewalking groups and don't reach elite status very much. Kevin
> Eastler, Gretchen Eastler Fishman, Ben Shorey, and Lauren Forgues come
> from a state with a population of 1.3 million people. Each of those
> athletes has made it to one or more Olympic Trials and one of them is a
> two time Olympian. Are any as talented as Jared? No, but that's not
> the point, a small club system that only serves juniors was able to
> produce 4 Olympic Trials athletes and a two-time Olympian in the last
> three Olympiads from a population of 1.3 million. It has to do with the
> attitude of the people involved...it comes down to people....and clubs
> do seem to be the way to go to get such results.
>
> Lastly of course, all that relates to $$$$. Even with the best of club
> support, if the $$$$ aren't there, then the athletes never make it to
> the big time. Where does the money come from for the Australian club
> network? They can't fly very far to compete if they don't have the
> money. What we know is that they are very successful on a per capita
> basis. What we don't know is how they get the funding and coaching to
> be so successful.
>
> Keep up the thought process and continue on the path to becoming not
> only a great athlete, but a great coach, a great organizer, a great
> salesman, and a great philanthropist....when you get there perhaps the
> limiting factor for success will have been exceeded and we will become
> the great racewalking power that we all want us to be.
>
> Tom
>
> >
>









_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live� SkyDrive: Get 25 GB of free online storage.
http://windowslive.com/online/skydrive?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_skydrive_032009

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

He hasn't left the womb yet. Baby McGovern isn't due for a couple more
months.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Tarantino" <m_tarantino@...>
To: <racewalking@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 12:22 PM
Subject: [racewalking] Re: reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team
trials for America's Race Walk Championships


> Tom,
>
> I just want to clarify that I'm not proposing we copy the Australian
> format verbatim.  Personally, in our circumstance I'm not sure club
> networking is the way to go.  I simply offered this as an alternative to
> trying to figure out what it's going to take to groom a child who just
> left the womb to become a gold medalist.
>
>
>
> Dave,
>
> Tough love is great.  It's what makes us better people.
>
> Looking internally is not a foreign subject to me.  I ask people all the
> time to call me out and challenge my actions.  I can readily admit that
> you are correct.  The majority of the equation revolves around me making
> it happen.  Stepping up through the trials and tribulations and answering
> the call.  I can also look at myself and say I have been using certain
> arguments as crutches and veils.  Your points are duly noted and may very
> well be looked upon as the turning point in my racewalking career.
>
>
> For you to infer that my absence from the Pan Am Trials resides solely on
> Chula Vista is preposterous.  There were many factors involved in me not
> being able to attend.  First and foremost I plainly couldn't get the time
> off of work.  I had a choice of using that time to attend the Pan Am
> Trials or this year's Nationals.  I think I made the right decision.
> Secondly, there was improper handling of matters by people in the USATF
> who represent me.  In hind sight I probably blew that out of proportion
> but it irks me when someone chooses not to follow through on a task that
> is well within their control.  Lastly, there is a bit me that feels I
> don't belong there.  That I must feel the pain of not being there to make
> a real change in my walking.  Strolling into a third world country to
> compete against the best in our hemisphere with snazzy new Nike uniforms
> and matching luggage while walking 1:36:00 seems a little out of place to
> me.
>
> Perhaps, I let these factors blind me to what really needed to be done.
>
>
> Mike
>
>
> --- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, Tom Eastler <eastler@...> wrote:
>>
>> Mike,
>>
>> Fine thoughts as usual.  How many times have we heard about "club"
>> teams, and how many more times will we have to hear about them until we
>> actually emulate them in sufficient quantity and quality?  Club teams
>> are a wonderful idea.  I started my racewalking under the Milrose AA
>> with Shaul Ladany as my coach and when Shaul went off to war I switched
>> over the the Long Island AC with Howie (now Jake) Jacobson as my coach.
>> I was in my early twenties and some of my teammates were much older.  I
>> never amounted to much as a walker, but I have made some impact on the
>> event by applying all that I learned from my excellent coaches.
>>
>> Note that the Gary Westerfield's athletes have come to national and
>> international competition through the club program.  The South Texas
>> Walking Club (STWC) and the Maine Racewalker's Club have developed their
>> club systems just up to the collegiate level recently.  The young kids
>> grow out of our clubs and move on, as they do in virtually all clubs in
>> the US.  They may possibly keep their club affiliation, as has Tim with
>> the NYAC, but more often than not they move far away and have no
>> support.  Therein comes the chain.  A club system has only the reach
>> that it can maintain.  AC can handle south Texas and I can handle all of
>> Maine, with difficulty, at the junior age group (14-19).  I am
>> recruiting collegiate walkers at my university, but can't stretch any
>> further than that, and have very limited resources even at that radius.
>> What club can handle 8 year old and 80 year old walkers and support all
>> of them in competition at all levels and in all venues???  Not many!
>> There is an incipient club system here in the US, but geographic
>> distribution of athletes and resources as well as coaches and mentors is
>> very limited.  The funding of these activities is also very limited.
>>
>> What do we not know about the very effective Australian system?  You
>> mention  club network....what is a network if not a complex of chains?
>> Somehow the Maine Racewalkers and the STWC, as far away from each other
>> as we are, have a network, I guess, of coaching philosophy, but only
>> compete with each other a few times a year at National events...same
>> with Long Island, and other clubs.  Using the anecdote of Jared, also
>> one of my favorite walkers, is fine, but I suppose whomever had Tim
>> Lewis in their club or Ron Zinn or other such remarkable walkers could
>> make the same argument.  The population statistics don't really hold
>> much water, other than to show that lazy Americans don't join
>> racewalking groups and don't reach elite status very much.  Kevin
>> Eastler, Gretchen  Eastler Fishman,  Ben Shorey, and Lauren Forgues come
>> from a state with a population of 1.3 million people.  Each of those
>> athletes has made it to one or more Olympic Trials and one of them is a
>> two time Olympian.  Are any as talented as Jared?  No, but that's not
>> the point, a small club system that only serves juniors was able to
>> produce 4 Olympic Trials  athletes and a two-time Olympian in the last
>> three Olympiads from a population of 1.3 million.  It has to do with the
>> attitude of the people involved...it comes down to people....and clubs
>> do seem to be the way to go to get such results.
>>
>> Lastly of course, all that relates to $$$$.  Even with the best of club
>> support, if the $$$$ aren't there, then the athletes never make it to
>> the big time.  Where does the money come from for the Australian  club
>> network?  They can't fly very far to compete if they don't have the
>> money.  What we know is that they are very successful on a per capita
>> basis.  What we don't know is how they get the funding and coaching to
>> be so successful.
>>
>> Keep up the thought process and continue on the path to becoming not
>> only a great athlete, but a great coach, a great organizer, a great
>> salesman, and a great philanthropist....when you get there perhaps the
>> limiting factor for success will have been exceeded and we will become
>> the great racewalking power that we all want us to be.
>>
>> Tom
>>
>> >
>>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
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> To change your subscription to daily digest mode:
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>
>
>

> Strolling into a third world country to compete against the best in our
hemisphere with snazzy new Nike uniforms and matching luggage while walking
1:36:00 seems a little out of place to me.

This hits the nail on the head.

Being among the best in this country does not mean one should have an OBLIGATION
to go to these meets (Mind you, I'm merely a long time observer, not an elite so
I cannot empathize.). Particularly when one's real life gets in the way -
whether that be work, personal matters/views, economics or what have you.
Likewise, I don't see how you could possibly faulted for choosing to pursue a
career as opposed to deciding to dedicate time towards just training.
Ultimately, what is the pay off? Yes,it must be a huge honor to represent one's
country...but as you note, doesn't it feel off if you are there by default? What
was feasible economically 20 years ago is simply not feasible today...whether it
be in San Diego or here in the midwest. This goes for folks with and without
mortgages. Today's college grads are saddled with more debt than ever before
making shoestring living to pay those bills necessary for some without even
taking out time for other things. If someone has the drive to do what worked 20
years ago...good for them. But someone like Mike who WANTS to do better who is
stuck where he is for whatever reason shouldn't be criticized for making his
career a priority.
>
> Perhaps, I let these factors blind me to what really needed to be done.
>
>
> Mike
>
>
> --- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, Tom Eastler <eastler@> wrote:
> >
> > Mike,
> >
> > Fine thoughts as usual.  How many times have we heard about "club"
> > teams, and how many more times will we have to hear about them until we
> > actually emulate them in sufficient quantity and quality?  Club teams
> > are a wonderful idea.  I started my racewalking under the Milrose AA
> > with Shaul Ladany as my coach and when Shaul went off to war I switched
> > over the the Long Island AC with Howie (now Jake) Jacobson as my coach.
> > I was in my early twenties and some of my teammates were much older.  I
> > never amounted to much as a walker, but I have made some impact on the
> > event by applying all that I learned from my excellent coaches.
> >
> > Note that the Gary Westerfield's athletes have come to national and
> > international competition through the club program.  The South Texas
> > Walking Club (STWC) and the Maine Racewalker's Club have developed their
> > club systems just up to the collegiate level recently.  The young kids
> > grow out of our clubs and move on, as they do in virtually all clubs in
> > the US.  They may possibly keep their club affiliation, as has Tim with
> > the NYAC, but more often than not they move far away and have no
> > support.  Therein comes the chain.  A club system has only the reach
> > that it can maintain.  AC can handle south Texas and I can handle all of
> > Maine, with difficulty, at the junior age group (14-19).  I am
> > recruiting collegiate walkers at my university, but can't stretch any
> > further than that, and have very limited resources even at that radius.
> > What club can handle 8 year old and 80 year old walkers and support all
> > of them in competition at all levels and in all venues???  Not many!
> > There is an incipient club system here in the US, but geographic
> > distribution of athletes and resources as well as coaches and mentors is
> > very limited.  The funding of these activities is also very limited.
> >
> > What do we not know about the very effective Australian system?  You
> > mention  club network....what is a network if not a complex of chains?
> > Somehow the Maine Racewalkers and the STWC, as far away from each other
> > as we are, have a network, I guess, of coaching philosophy, but only
> > compete with each other a few times a year at National events...same
> > with Long Island, and other clubs.  Using the anecdote of Jared, also
> > one of my favorite walkers, is fine, but I suppose whomever had Tim
> > Lewis in their club or Ron Zinn or other such remarkable walkers could
> > make the same argument.  The population statistics don't really hold
> > much water, other than to show that lazy Americans don't join
> > racewalking groups and don't reach elite status very much.  Kevin
> > Eastler, Gretchen  Eastler Fishman,  Ben Shorey, and Lauren Forgues come
> > from a state with a population of 1.3 million people.  Each of those
> > athletes has made it to one or more Olympic Trials and one of them is a
> > two time Olympian.  Are any as talented as Jared?  No, but that's not
> > the point, a small club system that only serves juniors was able to
> > produce 4 Olympic Trials  athletes and a two-time Olympian in the last
> > three Olympiads from a population of 1.3 million.  It has to do with the
> > attitude of the people involved...it comes down to people....and clubs
> > do seem to be the way to go to get such results.
> >
> > Lastly of course, all that relates to $$$$.  Even with the best of club
> > support, if the $$$$ aren't there, then the athletes never make it to
> > the big time.  Where does the money come from for the Australian  club
> > network?  They can't fly very far to compete if they don't have the
> > money.  What we know is that they are very successful on a per capita
> > basis.  What we don't know is how they get the funding and coaching to
> > be so successful.
> >
> > Keep up the thought process and continue on the path to becoming not
> > only a great athlete, but a great coach, a great organizer, a great
> > salesman, and a great philanthropist....when you get there perhaps the
> > limiting factor for success will have been exceeded and we will become
> > the great racewalking power that we all want us to be.
> >
> > Tom
> >
> > >
> >
>

Flash Results, Inc.
         Reebok Raleigh Relays - 3/27/2009 to 3/28/2009
                 North Carolina State University
                  Paul Derr Track, Raleigh, NC

Event 124  Women 3000 Meter Race Walk Seeded
===============================================================
     Name                    Year School                  Finals
===============================================================
Finals
   1 Melville, Miranda            Wis.-Parkside         15:02.72
   2 Kisley, Hannah               Raleigh Walkers       17:41.40
   3 Graham, Paula                Tidewater Striders    20:24.38
   4 Hallingse, Nancy             Tidewater Striders    21:35.23
-- Clarke, Michelle             Mansfield                  DNS


Flash Results, Inc.
         Reebok Raleigh Relays - 3/27/2009 to 3/28/2009
                 North Carolina State University
                  Paul Derr Track, Raleigh, NC

Event 125  Mixed 5000 Meter Race Walk Seeded
===============================================================
     Name                    Year School                  Finals
===============================================================
Finals
   1 Melville, Miranda          W Wis.-Parkside         25:07.63
   2 Smith, Andrew              M Unattached            27:34.68
   3 De Witt, Mike              M Wis.-Parkside         27:41.08
   4 Spell, Danny               M The Pedestrians       31:39.23
   5 Lipford, William           M Tidewater Striders    33:24.33
   6 Ogelsby, Walter            M Unattached.           33:39.06
   7 Durrant, Steve             M Tidewater Striders    38:19.11
-- Shapiro, Steven            M Tidewater Striders         DNS


Judges:  Michael Roth (chief), Bill Rhodes, Erin Roth
Recorder:  Grace Mutz
Card Runners:  Nick Kisley, Dorothy Slentz

Michael J. Roth - NASM-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer, Heart Rate Monitor Team Lead
& Metabolic Testing Specialist @ Life Time Fitness,
<http://www.lifetimefitness.com/cary> Cary
USATF Level I Certified Coach

(w) 919-467-7779 x 213 - mroth@...
(c) 631-379-2833 - michael@...
(h) 919-435-0637 - NEW



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Mike,

Fine thoughts as usual.  How many times have we heard about "club"
teams, and how many more times will we have to hear about them until we
actually emulate them in sufficient quantity and quality?  Club teams
are a wonderful idea.  I started my racewalking under the Milrose AA
with Shaul Ladany as my coach and when Shaul went off to war I switched
over the the Long Island AC with Howie (now Jake) Jacobson as my coach.
I was in my early twenties and some of my teammates were much older.  I
never amounted to much as a walker, but I have made some impact on the
event by applying all that I learned from my excellent coaches.

Note that the Gary Westerfield's athletes have come to national and
international competition through the club program.  The South Texas
Walking Club (STWC) and the Maine Racewalker's Club have developed their
club systems just up to the collegiate level recently.  The young kids
grow out of our clubs and move on, as they do in virtually all clubs in
the US.  They may possibly keep their club affiliation, as has Tim with
the NYAC, but more often than not they move far away and have no
support.  Therein comes the chain.  A club system has only the reach
that it can maintain.  AC can handle south Texas and I can handle all of
Maine, with difficulty, at the junior age group (14-19).  I am
recruiting collegiate walkers at my university, but can't stretch any
further than that, and have very limited resources even at that radius.
What club can handle 8 year old and 80 year old walkers and support all
of them in competition at all levels and in all venues???  Not many!
There is an incipient club system here in the US, but geographic
distribution of athletes and resources as well as coaches and mentors is
very limited.  The funding of these activities is also very limited.

What do we not know about the very effective Australian system?  You
mention  club network....what is a network if not a complex of chains?
Somehow the Maine Racewalkers and the STWC, as far away from each other
as we are, have a network, I guess, of coaching philosophy, but only
compete with each other a few times a year at National events...same
with Long Island, and other clubs.  Using the anecdote of Jared, also
one of my favorite walkers, is fine, but I suppose whomever had Tim
Lewis in their club or Ron Zinn or other such remarkable walkers could
make the same argument.  The population statistics don't really hold
much water, other than to show that lazy Americans don't join
racewalking groups and don't reach elite status very much.  Kevin
Eastler, Gretchen  Eastler Fishman,  Ben Shorey, and Lauren Forgues come
from a state with a population of 1.3 million people.  Each of those
athletes has made it to one or more Olympic Trials and one of them is a
two time Olympian.  Are any as talented as Jared?  No, but that's not
the point, a small club system that only serves juniors was able to
produce 4 Olympic Trials  athletes and a two-time Olympian in the last
three Olympiads from a population of 1.3 million.  It has to do with the
attitude of the people involved...it comes down to people....and clubs
do seem to be the way to go to get such results.

Lastly of course, all that relates to $$$$.  Even with the best of club
support, if the $$$$ aren't there, then the athletes never make it to
the big time.  Where does the money come from for the Australian  club
network?  They can't fly very far to compete if they don't have the
money.  What we know is that they are very successful on a per capita
basis.  What we don't know is how they get the funding and coaching to
be so successful.

Keep up the thought process and continue on the path to becoming not
only a great athlete, but a great coach, a great organizer, a great
salesman, and a great philanthropist....when you get there perhaps the
limiting factor for success will have been exceeded and we will become
the great racewalking power that we all want us to be.

Tom

>

Mike,

You were right that we should be pointing out the flaws in the system. But
you're wrong in letting that hold you back.

Outside support is fleeting... I got my start just as the Colorado Springs group
was disbanding in '84. I got myself down to 1:30 mostly on my own and wasted a
lot of time waiting for Martin Rudow/USATF to get me a residence spot at the
Training Center. It never happened. It was frustrating but I soldiered on.
I moved to Gary Null's Ranch in Texas and made several Pan Am Cup and World Cup
teams--without USATF support.
I moved to DC to live with a training partner (Bob Briggs) and got down to
1:28--with no USATF support.
I moved to South Carolina to train with Ian Whatley and then, finally, to
LaGrange, GA to train with a talented group of athletes including Herm Nelson,
Andrzej Chylinski, Andrew Herman, Tim Seaman and Allen James. And we all got
beaten at the Trials by Curt Clausen, training on his own with no USATF support
on his basement treadmill after work in North Carolina.
We're trying to get some projects funded by USATF, and hopefully we'll be able
to get some spots at Chula Vista for walkers. But for the most part you have to
make it happen on your own. It took training with a group to get myself down to
1:24, but I walked about 30 sub-1:30s mostly training on my own, making due with
whatever opportunities that presented themselves.
Your peers are NAIA and post-NAIA athletes living in the mid-west. Why are you
still in San Diego if you don't have a training group there? Of course you have
to work 50 hours/week to survive in SD.
You need to look at who you would like to train with (Stroupe? Boyles?
Tegtmeier?) and get a group together, or find some other support group (family?
Parkside?) And make things happen. Once we had a group in LaGrange we could
apply for funding and get money for projects and you could do the same. But you
usually need a time standard (Olympic B) to get it. Without outside funding I
went to Mexico City to stay with Carlos Mercenario for a month, I've spent weeks
here and there training with athletes in Sweden, France, England, etc. Airline
tickets to Europe or Mexico are cheap. And it's pretty easy to do if you don't
have a mortgage as long as you're not living in the most expensive part of the
country. Pre did pretty well living in that trailer down by the river, and
Patrick is doing pretty well on his farm in MO. If I were 25 I would ask if he
needed any help and I'd go stay on the farm milking cows, tossing hay bales and
training with Patrick for a couple of years, walk 1:27 then apply for a spot at
the training center.
The bright side of the sorry state of things is that it takes nothing to make
International Teams today. The slowest I ever walked to make a 20k World or Pan
Am Cup team was 1:30:02 in 1987. Now 1:36 will do it. Yet you're not in Pharr
this weekend. USATF will give you uniforms, a free ticket to El Salvador and
free room and board there. You'll spend five days with the best walkers in the
hemisphere, be able to network, possibly arrange a month or a year training with
a group in Mexico or Guatemala or Ecuador, but you're not. Why?  Because you're
mad that you can't get a spot at Chula Vista? Let it go! We're trying to work
things out to make that happen, but they aren't going to take anybody without at
least a B standard. Do whatever you have to do to make that happen with what you
have. If you're staying in San Diego, train with Tim. If you don't want to do
that, go wherever you have to go to train with whomever you do want to train,
but you can't just sitting around waiting for the apple to fall from the tree.
You have to reach out and pick it!

Sorry for the tough love, but the answer to the question "what do I need to get
myself to the next level?" is contained within the question: "Myself."

Ok

DMcG

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Mike Tarantino" <m_tarantino@...>

Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2009 05:39:30
To: <racewalking@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [racewalking] Re: reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team trials
for America's Race Walk Championships


Chris,

As always you have given me the perspective I over looked and desperately
needed.  Thank you.


Jeff,

My apologies.  It was my interpretation that group members were touching on
fundamental issues preceding your post.  In terms of timing and priority it was
my belief that you interrupted the flow of these thoughts.  I now understand
what your intentions were and realize that wasn't my place to proclaim what I
perceive to be the critical/non critical issues.  I promise to be cognizant of
this in the future.


Tom,

Thank you for extrapolating on what you and so many have been working on.  I
know you have been deeply entrenched and dedicated in this work.  I have
certainly noted and appreciate your efforts.

I would like to touch on a few points and maybe "scratch the record" to bring a
different view to the table.  Obviously everyone saw the frustration and passion
I hold in this topic.  Be that as it may, I do want to mention that I have done
my due diligence in this area as well as spent the past 3 years in the private
sector building corporate infrastructure.  I am no stranger to creating and
implementing complex processes.

Several times in your reply you utilized the terminology "long chain of
development" and asked me to "realize that there is not one segment in our
chain, but continue to argue that a chain is only as strong as the weakest
link".  While I understand your premise my propositions were developed under a
different train of thought.  From what I've experienced the longer the "chain of
development" is, the more complex it will be, thus the greater the probability
for failure.  I believe simplicity and learning/copying successes from past
history is the way to go.  I believe that in terms of our structure and our
window to act we are in a situation where perfect is the enemy of good enough. 
I believe in the Pareto principle (a.k.a. the 80/20 rule) which promotes
investing the majority of your time/energy in the activities that will produce
the greatest/majority results.

It is my belief that we would be wise to follow the lead of the Australians.  I
was surprised to find out they do not have racewalking in their collegiate
system.  What they do have is a strong club network and a powerhouse training
facility (AIS, Australian Institute of Sport) What I also found fascinating is
that I believe one of my favorite racewalkers, Jared Tallent, was 16 years old
when he began racewalking.  In the Australian system within seven years he
walked away with one bronze and one silver medal.  Now you may exclaim that this
is the exception to the rule but I would retort with the population statistics
of 303 million Americans versus 21 million Australians.  Even if our system was
incredibly flawed (which it is) we should theoretically be able to produce
talent.  Furthermore, if you look at their recent national championships held on
March 7th.  You'll find the Men had 11 starts and the women had 8 starts. 
Numbers that you would find consistent with our nationals.  This gives me hope. 
This is why I believe it's imperative we invest our time/efforts in the segment
that will produce the greatest return.

I truly enjoy discussing this topic with you.  Perhaps we can take this
discussion offline and dig deeper.


Mike



--- In racewalking@yahoogroups.com, "rael2003" <rael2003@...> wrote:
>
>  Jeff Salvage has been a tireless promoter of the event, a world-class
photographer who has underwritten his own expenses to travel far and wide to
photograph American walkers in competition, a webwizard who arguably has the
definitive site for race walk information and training and motivation.  His
photographs are equal to or better than the other track photographers like
Victah Sailer and he has the uncanny ability to capture the emotion and soul of
our athletes in the midst of an event.  The difference is that Sailer et al get
paid to go these events and Jeff spends his own money.  As one who does the same
but for videography, it can be expensive! We do it because we love the sport and
want to document the event so a larger audience can access the visuals and
experience the event also.
>
> The irony of all this is that Jeff was in Mike's exact position only a few
years ago.  Jeff was a National Team member, a working class hero who had
Olympic dreams, along with other guys with names like Herman, James, Evoniuk,
Matthews, Lewis, Schueler, Sharp, Fenton, Vaitones, etc.  Jeff and all the rest
said the very same things back in the late 80s/early 90s, that Mike so lucidly
wrote about today.  So he has been there, knows the suffering and frustration,
has been around the block and found its a cold heartless place sometimes.
>
> The unfortunate object lesson here is that we are still in the same place
20-30 years later.  Mike is not saying anything new, he is just expressing his
frustration at what seems to be a situation that our so-called leaders, myself
included, don't seem capable of correcting.  He's pissed off and rightfully so. 
Our national body could care less, and our event group infights more than the
Hatfields and the McCoys.  We are dysfunctional and that is an empirical truth. 
If that statement makes some uncomfortable then thats too bad.  It's the truth.
>
> You have learned the bitter lesson that others before you have learned, Mike,
and that is: You are all alone out there and no one is coming to rescue you. 
Occasionally there may be crumbs thrown your way by the powers that be, but true
full support that you need to make the Olympics will never come, under the
current system and leadership.  The system and leadership in place now allowed
the situation in where an Olympian had to beg to get access to the Olympic
Training Center for rehabilitation, the system and leadership in place now
allowed the situation in where an Olympian had to beg to get a gym pass to
24Hour Fitness who is a USATF premier sponsor, the system and leadership in
place now allowed the situation in where an Olympian had to write an open letter
asking for help in getting prize money many months after the race was held.
>
> Only a fool would expect to be helped out/rescued by those who have allowed
these situations to occur.
>
> Accept it and you will relax.  Fight it and you will stay pissed off and
bitter.  Being bitter is no way to live.
>
> We have been where you are.  Until a real revolution takes place, it will not
change.  Everything you said is true.  To conclude, at the risk of sounding like
Wayne who keeps rehashing what happened at the convention, I hate that but here
goes, when I was campaigning I said we must be willing to throw out what is
broken, try a new radical approach, because the current decades old system is
hopelessly and clearly not working, hasn't worked, and will never work, and we
all must be willing to try something new, even if it pushes us into our
uncomfortable place.
>
> We ignore your eloquent letter at our own peril.
>
> Chris
>




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Does anyone REALLY want to change the system?

Here is how it can be done.

At every National T&F Championship event, there is a meeting of the Board. 
These meetings are open to the membership.  Do it 60's style and when everyone
is at the same place.  Take over the Board meeting and refuse to leave until
your demands are met.  Don't even let someone leave if they have to use the
bathroom.  Barricade the doors w/ your bodies and force their hand.  If they
refuse to give in, serve them w/ papers to appear in court for a violation of
federal law for failure to treat the "race walking" class with equal rights as
spelled out in the Stevens Act and other EEOC statutes.

Just some thoughts...

Michael

Jeff Salvage has been a tireless promoter of the event, a world-class
photographer who has underwritten his own expenses to travel far and wide to
photograph American walkers in competition, a webwizard who arguably has the
definitive site for race walk information and training and motivation.  His
photographs are equal to or better than the other track photographers like
Victah Sailer and he has the uncanny ability to capture the emotion and soul of
our athletes in the midst of an event.  The difference is that Sailer et al get
paid to go these events and Jeff spends his own money.  As one who does the same
but for videography, it can be expensive! We do it because we love the sport and
want to document the event so a larger audience can access the visuals and
experience the event also.

The irony of all this is that Jeff was in Mike's exact position only a few years
ago.  Jeff was a National Team member, a working class hero who had Olympic
dreams, along with other guys with names like Herman, James, Evoniuk, Matthews,
Lewis, Schueler, Sharp, Fenton, Vaitones, etc.  Jeff and all the rest said the
very same things back in the late 80s/early 90s, that Mike so lucidly wrote
about today.  So he has been there, knows the suffering and frustration, has
been around the block and found its a cold heartless place sometimes.

The unfortunate object lesson here is that we are still in the same place 20-30
years later.  Mike is not saying anything new, he is just expressing his
frustration at what seems to be a situation that our so-called leaders, myself
included, don't seem capable of correcting.  He's pissed off and rightfully so. 
Our national body could care less, and our event group infights more than the
Hatfields and the McCoys.  We are dysfunctional and that is an empirical truth. 
If that statement makes some uncomfortable then thats too bad.  It's the truth.

You have learned the bitter lesson that others before you have learned, Mike,
and that is: You are all alone out there and no one is coming to rescue you. 
Occasionally there may be crumbs thrown your way by the powers that be, but true
full support that you need to make the Olympics will never come, under the
current system and leadership.  The system and leadership in place now allowed
the situation in where an Olympian had to beg to get access to the Olympic
Training Center for rehabilitation, the system and leadership in place now
allowed the situation in where an Olympian had to beg to get a gym pass to
24Hour Fitness who is a USATF premier sponsor, the system and leadership in
place now allowed the situation in where an Olympian had to write an open letter
asking for help in getting prize money many months after the race was held.

Only a fool would expect to be helped out/rescued by those who have allowed
these situations to occur.

Accept it and you will relax.  Fight it and you will stay pissed off and bitter.
Being bitter is no way to live.

We have been where you are.  Until a real revolution takes place, it will not
change.  Everything you said is true.  To conclude, at the risk of sounding like
Wayne who keeps rehashing what happened at the convention, I hate that but here
goes, when I was campaigning I said we must be willing to throw out what is
broken, try a new radical approach, because the current decades old system is
hopelessly and clearly not working, hasn't worked, and will never work, and we
all must be willing to try something new, even if it pushes us into our
uncomfortable place.

We ignore your eloquent letter at our own peril.

Chris

To all athletes and officials attending this weekend's USA trials for
the Americas Race Walk Championships in Pharr, Texas:

AC Jaime, our gracious host and race director has invited you to attend
a spagetti dinner at his home o Saturday night preceding the race on
Sunday.  Details regarding time and directions to his home will be
available atpacket pick-up on Saturday.


Vince

--


Vince Peters
USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
mv_tc@...
(937) 767-7424h
http://www.MiamiValleyTrackClub.org

Mike,
One should always take time to respond if one is upset, so kudus for a mature
reaction to your being perplexed. However, it is equally perplexing that you
took great offense. There really was nothing in the email that was derogatory
beyond the simple observation of the state of race walking. There can’t be
many people in the race walking world who have been around that aren’t
disappointed with the turnout of late. Are you not disappointed? If so, there is
no offense with that statement.
As for giving up, I have done no such thing. My latest thrust of fund raising is
in response to the race walking communities desires. The poll taken at my
website clearly shows where the community wanted support. As there is an
existing infrastructure to facilitate efforts in that direction, and I can very
easily help, I hopped on it. This is a group I have quietly been helping for
some time and we are seeing good progress thanks to the work of AC Jamie and Tom
Eastler. Why should you be offended for me helping a group of people that
actively seek help?
Your Challenges are fine. However, ever year people tend to post challenges and
propositions of what needs to be done, but not a plan to make it happen. I have
a very concrete plan to help in my way. We all must help in the ways that best
match our skill set. I’ve supported the elites in many ways, including paying
my way to major meets and acting as the teams’ personal photographer. USATF
pretty much relies on me when they need photos of you guys as do most of the
local papers of the elites. I typically provide all photographs free of charge
hoping it will help get stories published and thus promote race walking. Just
yesterday I received a request from USATF for photos of Shorey and Boyles. I
provide them, as usual, for free. Are they not your generation? In addition, Tim
Seaman has been working hard to build the exact type of support system you are
referring and I have been working with Tim on a number of projects to help make
that a reality.
  Unless I am misinformed, you do live near Tim. Perhaps if you took advantage of
what support is around you, you would have a better idea of what’s going on
there.  
So I am not sure where you have grounds to be offended, but like something else
everyone has an opinion and you are certainly entitled to it. All the feedback I
received from my post other than yours complimented me on being positive, not
negative. Of course, you may be more offended now, but you did open yourself up
to it.
Jeff Salvage
www.racewalk.com
 
 




________________________________
From: Tom Eastler <eastler@...>
To: Mike Tarantino <m_tarantino@...>
Cc: racewalking@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, March 27, 2009 7:23:18 AM
Subject: Re: [racewalking] Re: reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team
trials for America's Race Walk Championships


Mike,

Very nicely written and mostly well thought out. That post collegiate
gap is where USATF needs to recognize that development needs really lie,
ie. the development of the talent that made it that far and now needs
coaching and support to make it the rest of the way. Unfortunately
USATF has not shown recently that it will play any important role in
recognizing that fact or actively helping to produce the level of
support we need. As you know, the funding for the 'kids" comes not
from USATF but from local clubs, NARI, and the pocketbooks of parents.
The beginning of the pipeline is indeed making progress, without
financial support from USATF. It is where the pipeline meets the road,
where you are, that needs also to be addressed, and unfortunately I
believe that we have to concede the true state of affairs. If we don't
recognize the nature of the problem we will never endeavor to solve that
problem. Some of us envision multiple "training centers" like the one
that Tim is planning for the Albany area and others are discussing for
other areas. The Colorado Springs, LaGrange, and Chula Vista models
require either massive infusion of $$$, or unreal commitment on the part
of those who would have to give up that job, take a vow of poverty, and
train until broke or until one makes the Olympics...whicheve r comes first.

This is clearly a multifaceted problem. The priorities of which you
speak cannot aim only at one segment of the long chain of development
because each segment from feeder system to internationally elite athlete
is needed to complete the recipe for success. Unless and until we can
convince others to infuse $$$ into our existing programs and until we
can come up with a workable and fundable paradigm for the collegiate and
post collegiate athletes that are competing at the national and
international levels, we will continue to flounder. We need large
infusion of $$$ placed in endowment instruments that don't get destroyed
by national and global financial woes. In short we need consecutive
miracles that allow your post collegiate group to grow and prosper.
Until we find those miracles we will have only those who have found a
way on their own to subsidize in 4 year increments their quest for gold.

I think you will find that Jeff and others have realized that without a
base of talent developed early and well, there will be no significant
supply to the collegiate ranks and beyond. The beyond part is where
your energies lie right now, and by finally speaking up, you are
bringing attention back to that end game, and it will be up to you and
others like you to develop the paradigm required to complete that
development chain. Speak the truth, make the argument, try to solve
that funding and commitment gap, as you have started to today. Realize
that there is not one segment in our chain, but continue to argue that a
chain is only as strong as the weakest link, and work on strengthening
that link.

Tom

Mike Tarantino wrote:
> I wanted to make sure I waited a full day to pass before I commented on your
statements. It was my hopes that I could comprehend where you were coming from
and why you choose that specific moment to express those thoughts.
Unfortunately, I'm still perplexed. I took great offense to what you wrote. It
felt like you were basically giving up on my generation of racewalkers and
proposing a call to arms primarily focused on the youth of the sport. To make
matters worse it seemed you were placing a band aid on a bullet wound. The youth
that you speak of will soon experience the exact same pitfalls I currently
endure if we don't make a fundamental change in the system.
>
> Furthermore, although I know you mean well I believe you have effectively
illustrated the type of behavior that has been hindering true progress. It is my
belief that this country is much closer to producing great talent in the
racewalks then it thinks. From my perspective the main challenges lie in the
lack of identifying priorities, standing up for what is right and being able
produce a sustainable, scalable and systematic racewalking career path.
>
> Challenge #1-Priorities
>
> Where should we place our unified efforts to create the greatest
impact/results to racewalking?
>
> >From my vantage point we have some semblance of clubs and racewalks in the
college system. I clearly understand that we just scratched the surface but
there's no doubting that they do exist and produce walkers. What does not exist
is a post collegiate support system. I started off in the Niagara Racewalkers
Club then proceeded to attend college at UWP and now here I am. Balancing a 40+
hour work week to survive while training full time and all the while hearing
murmurs in the background about why no one from my generation is able to step
up.
>
>
>
> Challenge #2- Standing up for what is right
>
> We cannot concede that we'll have to make a stand for racewalking all by
ourselves even if that is the truth. Seeing leaders of racewalking making these
allusions over the past week was quite disheartening to me. We cannot just say
the USATF declined our proposals then shrug our shoulders and feel bad for
ourselves. Complacency breeds complacency. If the athletes see that from the top
of the food chain that's exactly what you're going to produce. Where's the
gumption needed to bring about real change?
>
> (E.G.) Your house sits on a school district borderline. The school to the
right is the best in the nation. The school to left is the worst. School
officials from the best school in the nation tell you your child cannot attend
their school because the majority of your house sits on the other school
districts property. Are you seriously telling me you're just going to sit by and
say oh well? Of course not. You would fight tooth and nail to ensure your child
gets the best education possible irregardless of what some official told you.
>
>
>
> Challenge #3- Producing a sustainable, scalable and systematic racewalking
career path
>
> Combining what we deem our priorities to be with standing up for what is right
I believe we need to produce a racewalking career path. Except for the
post-collegiate support system I feel that we currently have the ingredients
needed to produce top talent. Unfortunately we don't have a recipe to put these
ingredients together. What gets measured gets done. By creating expectations and
a progression process we will create that light at the end of the tunnel. I
think it's important to create a full working model first then revisit it with
updated iterations. To focus on merely one aspect of the equation until it's
perfect or to proclaim we're each going off in separate directions to solve the
problems of racewalking would only prove to be an exercise in futility.
>
>
> These are only my opinions. I don't claim to have all the answers nor do I
want to come off as telling people what to do. For the longest time I made the
decision to remain silent then I realized the only way to bring about change is
with action. I look forward to the constructive criticism of my thoughts as well
as working hand in hand with anyone who wants to make a difference. It is my
hopes that possibly something I wrote could be an impetus to help others solve
the woes of US racewalking.
>
> I do realize and feel that it's important to remember that there are people
working tirelessly behind the scenes who hold values similar to these. Although
they may not seek recognition for everything they do they are there. It's not
all doom and gloom. Just this past week someone helped get my sentiments in
front of an audience I had originally believed to be inaccessible. At the end of
the day we're still in all this together. We can all agree that nothing would
make us happier then to see the sport flourish from the juniors all the way to
the masters divisions.
>
>
>
> --- In racewalking@ yahoogroups. com, Jeff Salvage <campsalvage2@ ...> wrote:
>
>> While I concur with everyoneâEUR^ (TM)s sentiments that the lack of
participants for this weekend race is disappointing. Instead of dwelling on the
negative, IâEUR^(TM)d like to report on something positive. IâEUR^(TM)m out in
Flagstaff working with Tim Seaman on some material for our clinics.
HeâEUR^(TM)s out here with Trevor Barron (only 16 years old), Laurne Forgues,
and Rachelle Lavallee. TheyâEUR^(TM) ve been here over a month, training at
altitude. Both Trevor and Lauren are the bright young stars we need to see step
up over the coming years. Â
>> ItâEUR^(TM)s been a great few days, seeing dedicated young race walkers
focus on training. While the internet generation has made for some interesting
dynamics with everyone sitting around their laptops with headphones on, the
focus on race walking, nutrition, and importantly rest is a formula for future
success. If we all kick in where and how we can, we can turn the tide of low
turnout, but it does take effort beyond just typing.
>> Jeff Salvage
>> www.racewalk. com
>>
>> Â
>>
>>
>>
>> ____________ _________ _________ __
>> From: Ray Sharp <rsharp@...>
>> To: mv_tc@...; racewalk list <racewalking@ yahoogroups. com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 4:40:47 PM
>> Subject: RE: [racewalking] reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team
trials for America's Race Walk Championships
>>
>>
>> I cannot fathom why more of the collegiate and 20-something walkers aren't
>> trying to make a senior team. I tell you I could fly to Texas right now and
>> make the Pan Am Cup team this weekend if I wanted to. I think my finishes at
>> the national 20k in June 2005, 06 and 07 support this claim. Unfortunately,
>> I can't get away from work in late April. This happens to you when you are
>> 49 and have three kids headed to college soon.
>>
>> When I was younger, such as in 1981, the one year I competed in NAIA, I
>> would have given anything for a chance to wear the USA vest and possibly
>> take a step toward an Olympic team. In fact, after a disappointing seventh
>> place in the spring 20k trials in Kenosha, when I was feeling over-trained
>> for a few weeks (my fault, not Coach Lawson's) and just couldn't keep pace
>> with the leaders (finishing behind Jim Heiring, Dan O'Conner, Todd Scully,
>> Marco Evoniuk, Steve Pecinovsky and Peter Timmons, not sure about the order
>> of 3-4), I was extremely disappointed and desperate to make the World Cup
>> team, so after competing in the NAIA outdoor nationals (10 km walk 1st,
>> marathon DNF), I flew to Seattle for the 50k nationals. Not a race I liked
>> much back then (still don't). Vince O'Sullivan led wire to wire in 4:08 or
>> so. Heiring, O'Conner and I split 35 k in 2:55. I could see Vinnie still up
>> ahead on the long straightaway, and unwisely I surged into second place. I
>> nearly caught him, then totally hit the wall. Jim passed me for second
>> (4:15?), Dan DNFed at 45k from hypothermia (raining buckets), and I hung on
>> for third in 4:21:06, after an incredibly difficult last 10k, one of the
>> hardest things I ever did. I still remember former national chair Dr. Dean
>> Ingram, may he rest in peace, asking me if I knew where I was as I staggered
>> by with one 5k lap to go, and I said "yes, now get out of my way, no one's
>> going to stop me from making this team."
>>
>> Of course we have a lot of development work to do: high school, college,
>> fundraising for post-collegiate, etc. But we can't expect Vince to call a
>> taxi and pick these guys up at their dorm rooms in Ohio, Missouri, etc. I
>> sacrificed a lot in pursuit of my dreams. I don't know what it will take to
>> inspire many of the current generation of prospective senior team members. I
>> suppose times have changed and people have different interests and goals in
>> life. My heroes as a kid were Ryun, Shorter, Pre, Snell, Keino, etc. I read
>> books like The First Four Minutes and The Jim Ryun Story over and over.
>> When I made my first junior track team in 1978, and was suddenly teammate
>> with guys like Michael Carter, Todd Harbour, Andre Phillips and the late
>> Bill McChesney, I felt like I had died and gone to Heaven, as they say.
>>
>> Leadership has its limits. Motivation has to come from within. I understand
>> this, being a father of 3.
>>
>> Ray Sharp
>>
>> _____
>>
>> From: racewalking@ yahoogroups. com [mailto:racewalking @ yahoogroups. com]
On
>> Behalf Of Vince Peters
>> Sent: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 2:25 PM
>> To: racewalk list
>> Subject: [racewalking] reply 2: Current list of Entries for USA team trials
>> for America's Race Walk Championships
>>
>> Part of the purpose of publishing a list of entries is not only to
>> advertise who is competing, but who isn't. Hopefully it will inspire
>> some one to take a shot.
>>
>> Regardless, the list remains pretty bare. Where are the race
>> walkers going to come from to fill these fields? As Dave McGovern has
>> said, that is the $64,000 question.
>>
>> We are in a Post Olympic year and our already thin and graying ranks
>> just got older and slower (except for Ray Sharp :-).
>>
>> So where are the up and comers?
>>
>> With very few exceptions, nearly every one of the late twenty to
>> early thirty year olds who race walk in this country are all from one
>> program - University of Wisconsin Parkside. As recent as 2004 and
>> going back into 1995, field sizes at the NAIA national championships
>> were 6 or 7, or less with as few as 1 athlete in the 1996 men's national
>> championships. And these athletes, a total of a half dozen to a dozen
>> men and women - hardly enough to sustain a national program - are now
>> raising their families and furthering their careers. The pitiful prize
>> money we have in race walking by itself isn't enough justify staying in
>> the sport at anything other than a part time basis.
>>
>> So where are the race walkers who are going to step up to the Open
>> Level to replace these athletes who have basically retired from the sport?
>>
>> We had 20 men and 15 women at the starting line at this year's NAIA
>> indoor nationals. Biggest fields ever. Are there any other active race
>> walkers between the ages of 19 and 25 who aren't in the NAIA? Perhaps a
>> total of a 10 men and women combined. Why? Nearly every HS athlete who
>> goes to an NCAA college is lost to the sport (Parkside, Mansfield,
>> Stockton, and University of Rochester being the exceptions).
>>
>> So we have perhaps 40 athletes in the age group 19-25 race walking
>> in this country (several NAIA athletes are from foreign countries). Is
>> that enough to sustain a national program. Hardly.
>>
>> So what can we do?
>>
>> I am coaching 10 high school athletes representing seven different
>> high schools in the Dayton area. And five college athletes directly at
>> Cedarville University. And providing guidance for several more HS,
>> collegiate and open athletes who have requested it. Both of this year's
>> NAIA national champions are from my program. As was last summer's 2nd
>> place finisher in both the men's 20k and 50k Olympic Trials. (Matt
>> Boyes is now establishing is own program at Rio Grande College here in
>> Ohio where he is an assistant T&F coach and has scholarship money for
>> incoming HS RWers).
>>
>> That is what I am doing. That is the example I offer. I've been
>> doing it for 15 years now.
>>
>> What are you doing to increase the number of race walkers in this
>> country? Are you coaching any HS programs? Are you helping with any
>> college programs? Have you taken any college graduates under your wing
>> and helped them find jobs where they can continue training?
>>
>> People in this country need to stop looking to USATF to fund all of
>> the answers. The resources aren't there to make a major difference.
>> If you know how to race walk then get active in coaching young race
>> walkers. Find them yourself, I do. And then make sure the best of
>> them get the support they need to get to the next level.
>>
>> Vince
>>
>> --
>>
>> Vince Peters
>> USATF Racewalk Committee National Chair
>> mv_tc@sbcglobal. <mailto:mv_tc% 40sbcglobal. net> net
>> (937) 767-7424h
>> http://www.MiamiVal <http://www.MiamiVal leyTrackClub. org> leyTrackClub. org
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
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